Elevator gate mechanism



Aug- 21, 1934 L. H. PRANGER 1,970,818

ELEVATOR GATE MECHANI SM 2930672 ZW Z024 6' P/? er Aug. 21,1934. L., H,PRANGER 1,970,818

ELEVATOR GATE MECHANI SM Filed Dec. 13., 1930 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 21,1934. L H PRANGER 1,970,818

ELEVATOR GATE MECHANI SM 71W x. 6g i AU8 21, 1934- L. H. PRANGER1,970,818

ELEVATOR GATE MECHANISM Aug. 2l, 1934.

L. HQPRANGER ELEVATOR GAT MECHANISM Filed Dec.' 13, 1930 6 Sheets-Sheet5 @2M/MMM Aug- 2l, 1934. L. H. PRANGER 1,970,818

ELEVATOR GATE MECHANISM Filed Dec. 13. 1930 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 lf -mff y232 0672 o?" Z/OUZ'' prcager f/gs'.

Patented Aug. 21, 1934 UNITED VSTATES PAT 1,970,818 ELEVATORGATEMECHANISM Louis H. Pranger, Racine, Wis. Application December 13, 1930,Serial'No. 502,196

21 Claims.

rl'his inventio-n relates to improvements in elevator gate mechanism andits purpose is to provide an improved device for operating the safetygates or doors whichare employed to close the openings leading into anelevator shaft at the different noors of a building.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an improved deviceYby which the elevator gates or doors are automatically opened when theelevator reaches a floor and are automatically closed as the elevatorleaves that floor.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved gate operatingmechanism adapted to be mounted in the elevator shaft and comprisingparts arranged to be automatically actuated by a member carried by theelevator car so that as the car moves along the shaft ineitherdirection, it at a particular floor as the elevator car reaches thatfloor.

will open the. gates to a predetermined extent A further object of theinvention is to provide means for automatically opening the elevatorsafety gates at each floor of reaches each such floor in a building asthe elevator vcar combination with means for rendering said mechanisminoperative at any particular floor, at the will of the operator. Stillanother object is to provide gate opening mechanism adapted to beemployed with an eleaccompanying drawings, in which one embodiment ofthe invention is illustrated. In the drawings,

Fig. l shows a vertical section through an elevator shaft and anvelevator car showing the application thereto of the present invention;

the line 2-21of Fig. 1, illustrating a top plan view of the elevator carand the mechanism by which the gates or doors are operated;

Fig. 3 shows an enlarged fro-nt elevation of the mechanismV mounted inthe elevator shaft at each floor for controlling the opening and closingof the doors or gates, with the parts thereon in positions correspondingto the vclosed positions-of the doors;

Fig. 4 isa view similar to that of Fig. 3, showingY ing vof the doorsatthe floor'at hism is located;

which ythis mecha-v (Cl. IS7-60) Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken onthe line 5-,5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is aside elevation ofthe mechanism illustrated in Fig. 3, showingthe mechanism mounted.` on the walliof the elevator shaft andillustrating the relative position of the actuatingV memberY carried bythe elevator car before its engagement with said mechanism; 'y y Fig. 7is an enlarged sideelevation of a portion of the mechanism illustratedin Figs. 3 and 6, 65 showing the relative positions of the parts duringthe movement of one of the operating members by an actuating devicecarried by the elevator car; Y

Fig. 8 is a detail section taken on the line `8--8 70 of Fig. 7; 4 "2-Fig.,9 isa partial side elevation of the mechanism illustrated in Fig.y, being similarV to the view of Fig. 7, showing thejrelativeV positionsof the parts as the elevator car leaves the floor at whichthis mechanismis located and thereby actuates the mechanism to effect the closureofthe doors; "Y

Fig. l0 is an enlarged detail section on the line lO-lO of Fig.7,showing the connection ofV 89 two relatively movable parts of one of theslidably mounted operating members by which the opening and closing ofthe doors is controlled;

Fig. l1 shows a vertical section through the elevator shaft and elevatorcar, illustrating the cable mechanism by which the doors or gates areopened and closed when two oppositely moving doors .or gates areemployed for each door opening; and

Fig. l2 is a view similar to that yof Fig. 11, illus- 9 0 trating thearrangement of the parts when a sin- "we gie door is employed forclosing one door opening.

The invention is illustrated in connectionl with a building having avertical elevator shaft l5 in which there moves an elevator car 16 withmeans 95` for stopping the elevator car at the different 'lli oors 17.Two door openings 18 are provided on each floor at opposite sides of theelevator shaft 15 and these door openings are bounded at their sides bythe sidesills 19 and at their 1upper yex--`` 100 tremities by thehorizontal members 20. In the embodiment shown in Figs. l to 1l,inclusive, each door opening 18 is adapted to be normally closedv by twocomplementary fire doors 2l which are formed preferablyof sheet metalmembers carried by a frameformed of angle iron members 22. 1 The twodoors l21 which close each door opening 18 are adapted to be vmovedawayfrom each other until the lower door has its upper edge flush with orbelow the door `sill llwhile the lower edge `of' 1p1() the upper door isflush with or above the upper edge 20 of the door opening. The verticaledges of the doors 21 are guided by guide members 23 of Z-barcross-section which are secured to the side walls 24 of the elevatorshaft at opposite sides of the door openings 18.

The elevator car 16 comprises a floor 25 carried by transverse framemembers 26 which are connected at their ends to end frame members 27.The oor 25 is carried by upright frame members 28 which are located atthe corners of the car and which are united at their upper ends with arectangular frame composed of transverse frame members 29 and end framemembers 30. From the corner of this rectangular frame four diagonalframe members 31 extend inwardly to the center of the car where they aresecured to the center block 32. The center block is attached to a cable33 by which the elevator car '16 is raised and lowered. During themovement of the elevator car, it is guided'and maintained out of contactwith the walls of the shaft by vertical guide members 34 which aresecured to the ends of the elevator car and which have .vertical grooves34a therein which are engaged by kguide rails 35. These guidev rails arecarried by bracketsl 36 which are secured to the walls 37 of theelevator shaft. The area of the elevator shaft is somewhat greater thanthat of the elevator car so that ample space is provided at oppositeends of the elevator car for mountingk the mechanism by which the doors21 are opened and closed. Y

The operating mechanism for opening the doors or gates at each oor ismounted on the wall of the elevator shaft adjacent that floor and isactuated by a device carried by the elevator car. 'Ihis mechanism whichis mounted in the elevator shaft is illustrated particularly in Figs. 3,4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, where it is illustrated as comprising a plate 40Ywhich `is secured to the end wall 37 of the elevator shaft by studs 41which pass through .blocks 42 by which the plate is spaced from thewall. The plate 40`carries two vertically slidable rack bars 44 eachhaving teethv 44a and each secured to a plate 44b which projectslaterally from each side of the'rack bar to engage one of the under-cutchannels 45 which are formed by plates 45a and 45*b secured to the plate40. The innerplates 45a are spaced apart and their vertical edges areoverlapped by the outer plates 45h, as shown in Fig. 5, to form theundercut channels 45. In this way, the rack bars 44 are permitted toslide vertically on the plate and during this movement they are adaptedto, actuate, or to be actuated by, a pinion 46 the teeth of which meshwith the rack teeth 44a carried by the rack bars'. The pinion 46 isadapted to revolve about a shortshaft orV bolt 47 projecting from theplate 40 so that the pinion is merely an idler by which motion'istransmitted from one rack bar to the other.

vThe right-hand rack bar 44 has its lower end connected to a cable 48and the left-hand rack bar has its lower end connected to a cable 49.These cables extend downwardly and are wound in opposite directionsaround. a drum 50 with their other extremities secured to this drum sothat when one cable is unwound from the drum, the other cable is woundup thereon. This drum 50 is secured upon a transverse shaft 5l whichextends parallel to the under wall`37 of the elevator shaft with its endportion journaled in bearing brackets 52 which are secured on thiswall.,V The ends of the shaft 51 have drums 53 secured thereon andcables extend from these drums 53 to the elevator doors 21 so that, uponrotation of the shaft 5l, the doors are opened or closed, depending uponthe direction of rotation. As shown particularly in Figs. 2 and l1, eachdrum 53 has two cables 54 secured thereto and wound thereon with theirfree end portions extending upwardly therefrom and over pulleys `55 twoof which are mounted on short shafts 5.6 carried by the end walls 24. oithe elevator shaft. One cable 54 is passed over only one of the pulleys55 while the other cable 54 is extended over both or" the pulleys 55 andthen these cables are extended downwardly and their extremities arepassed through the angle member 22 at the top edge of the uppermost door21 at each side of the elevator shaft. n addition to the cables 54, eachdrum 53 has two cables 57 Wound thereon in directions opposite to thewinding of vthe cables 54 and the free end portions of these cables 547are passed over other pulleys 58 mounted on shafts 56 adjacent thepulleys 55. These cables 57 are arranged with one cable passing over onepulley 58 and theV other cable passing overboth pulleys 58, after whichthe end portions of the cables are carried downwardly and attached totheY angle member 22 forming the upper frame member of the lower door 21at each sideof the elevator shaft. In this way, the rotation of theshaft 51 in one direction is adapted to raise one elevator door andlov/er the other door at each side of the shaft, while the rotation ofthe shaft in the opposite direction is adapted to eect the oppositemovement of each door. The opening and closing movements of the doorsare eiected by the actuation of the rack'bars 44 and the weight ofthedoors is counterbalanced by a counterweight 60 which is suspended from acable 61 through a coil spring 62, as shown in Fig. 11. This cable 61 iswound around the drum 50 previously described and the weight is therebyadapted to counterbalance the weight. of the doors.

Inl order to eiect the opening of the doors through the rotation of theshaft 51' and to control the closing movements thereof by the reverserotation of this shaft, means are provided for actuating the rack bars44 by the movement of the elevator car 16. For this purpose, the car 16is provided with a pair of actuating devices 65, shown particularly inFigs. 6, 7, 8 and 9. Each actuating device comprises a roller 66 carriedat the end of a plunger 67 which is mounted to reciprocate in a cylinder68 carried by the elevator car. Each cylinder is provided with threadedend caps 69which are apertured to receive the plunger 67 and eachcylinder is secured by U-bolts 76 to angle bars 71 which are secured toone of the frame members 30 at the top of the elevator car by means ofbolts 72. The plunger 67 of each actuating device has a coil spring 73mounted around it withinits cylinder 68. One end of the spring engagesthe cap at one end of the cylinder and the other end of the springengages a transverse pin 74 having its ends extending through slots 68awhich are formed in the cylinder wall. The springs 73 are compressed sothat they normally force the plunger 67 and the rollers 66 toward therack bars 44.

By reason of the action of the springs 73, the

rollers 66 of the actuating devices occupy positions as shown in Figs. 2and 6, so that as the elevator car 16 approaches the iioor adjacentwhich two of therack bars 44 are located, the rollers 66 move alongpaths which bring them into proximity with the front faces of the rackiig-armere bars when the latter members are reached. Since two rack barscarried byoneof the boards `normally have an offset relationship, asshown -in Fig. 3, the rollers 66 of one actuating device reaches one vofthe rack "bars before the other rack bar is reached by the otheractuating device. The result is that the roller 66 o'f-one actuatingdevice moves upwardly until Vit engages the lug 75 vcarried by theright-hand rack bar as viewed inFig. 8. 'Ifhis'lug is of rectangularcross-section and projects outwardly from the rackbar in the path of theroller 66 so that whenit `vis engaged by the roller, the right-hand rackbar is moved upwardly and, through the action of the pinion-46, theother rack bar 4:4 is actuated to move downwardly. 'As this occurs, thecable 48 connected to `the right-'hand rack bar rotates the drum 50 andthereby actuat'es the shaft 5l so that two "gates or doors 21 areseparated from each other through the operation of the connectionspreviously described. vIn order to release the roller 66 vfromengagement with the lug 75 of the rack barfeach rack bar is providedwith a releasing plate 77 which sadjustably mounted on the side of therack bar so that it has a limited relative `movement thereon. Eachreleasing plate is provided with a V-shaped cam projection 77@L whichextends outwardly into the path of the adjacent roller 66 and each plate77 yis further provided with a pair of elongated vslots 77b engaged bythe studs 78 by which the plate is secured to the rack bar. Y I

The slots 77b permit a limited longitudinal movement of each plate 77 onits rack bar and, adjacent the ends of the path of travel of the rackbar, the plate 77 is adapted to be engaged byone of two stop membersincluding an upper stop` member 79a and a lower stop member 791.

f These stop members 'are carried by plates 79 having elongated slots79'@ therein so that they may be k'clampedin 'adjusted positions on the'plate 40 by means *of studs 80. The stop members 79a and 79b may thusbe spaced apart within a considerable range of adjustment in order tovary the points at which the rollers 66 are vreleased from engagementwith the lugs 75 by which the rack bars are moved.

, As the right-hand rack bar is vmoved'ilpw'ardly bythe engagement ofone of the rollers 66 with rack bar.

Y ber 79h.

the lug 75 carried by that rack bar, the connected releasing plate 77moves along with the rack bar until the upper end of the releasing barengages the stop 79a at that side of the plate 40, whereupon Vthe motionof the plate 77 is arrested but the rack bar 4e continues to move underthe innuence of the roller 66 while, at the same time, the roller ridesoutwardly on one of the inclined faces of thecam projections 77, asshown in Fig.

9. The upper stop member 77a is located so 'that 66 this action occursat or adjacent the point where the doors 2l are in their full openpositions and upon further movement of the elevator car in the samedirection, the roller 66 will ride up on the cam projection 77M until itpasses entirely over 65 the lug 75, thereby releasing the rack bar fromthe-actuating force applied through the device 65 and permitting theright-hand actuating device to continue its travel without actuating theDuring this actuation of the righthand rack bar, the left-hand rack bar44 will have been moved downwardly, as illustrated in Fig. 4, until thelower end of the actuating plate 77 carried thereby engages the lowerstop mem- Then, as the elevator car continues its upward movement, theroller 66 carried by the nected-to the drum 5o, which 'ciosirgfmovemet iis assisted by the yaction of the'c'ouritervveiglt 60.

tuation of theV left-handrackbar oontinu'esuntil the releasing plate 77carried by this -barengages 'the upper left-hand stop member 79a.Theroller 66 of the left-hand 'actuating device then moves upwardlyoverthe cam projection 77a of this plate and passes over the lug 75 of theleft-hand rack bar as the doors 21 Yreach, their closed pos'itos.

The doors then remain closed but are lautomatically opened again upondownward movement of the elevator by the reversal of the'series ofopera-tions which has just been described. The left-hand rack -b'a'r islthen moved downwardly and its motion is transmitted through the pinion46 to the right-hand rack bar "44 Which'is thereupon elevated to openthe gates `through the actuation of vthe cable 48 connected to the druih50.k When the left-hand rack bar reaches the lower limit of its travel,vas determined -by the setting of the lowerleft-hand stop member 79h',the left-hand roller 56 l'rides ufpover thecam prolob jootion 77a of theleft-hand actuating plate and' thus passes over the projection "I5 ofthat 'rack bar. Shortly thereafter, therolle'r 66 'oarried'by ytheright-hand actuating device engages the lug 75' of the right-hand `rackbar which will have been elevated-by the previous door openingmovementso that the right-hand 'rack bar is then lowered by theV downward.mover'nent of the 'elevater car and this motionis "inV turn transmittedto theleft-hand rack bar which hoves upwardly and effects fa closingmovement of Ythe doors as heretofore described; rI-he downward movement.closed as the elevator car leaves that 'door level in either direction.

In case the elevator car moves upwardly to' onefloor Yand then reversesits direction yirrimediately without going beyond that flo'onthedoorswould be automatically closed at the commencement of the downwardmovementif the stop members wereso adjusted on the plate 40 as lto causethe right-hand roller 66 to pass beyond the right-hand lug 75 before thefloor of the elevator car reached a position flush with the iloor level.In that case,A `the Y right-hand roller 66 would be above'the right lug75 at the `con'ii'nencevment of the downward movement of the elevator"ycarl so that the right-hand rack bar would be tot nie

lie'

moved downwardly and thus 'impart an upward motion to the left-hand rackbar to eiect the closing of the doors through the cable 49. By suitablyadjusting 'the stop members 79avt and 79b on the plate 40,. the vopeningand :closing 'of the doors may be caused to take place at precisedetermined points in the travel of the elevator c'ar and the extent ofopening of .the doors may at the same time be exactly regulated.

The apparatus so far described would effect the -automaticclosing andvopem'ng of thedoors at every iioorlevel of abuilding whether or notany-passengers or freightwere to-be discharged .at those floors but, ifdesired,` the operator of the elevator may prevent the openingof thegates or Qdoors at any floor atwhich theelevator is not going to make astop by manually withdrawing thezplungers 67 ofthe actuating devices 65as the ,elevator car approaches that floor. This is effected by a footpedal v which is pivoted at 86 on a bracket 87 secured to the floor 25of the car. This bracket is connected to an upwardly extendling cable 88which has its upper end4 attachedto Aone arm of a bell cranklever 89asshown particularly in Figs. 1, 2 and 11. This bell crank lever has onearm yprojecting upwardly behind a cross bar 90 having its enlarged ends90ct slidably engaged by the extremities of the plungers 67 which haveenlarged heads 67a at their ends. When the foot pedal is depressed, thebell crank lever 89 is rocked to move the cross bar 90 inwardly towardthe body `of the elevator car so that the rollers 66 are bothsimultaneously withdrawn out of the positions wherein theynormallyengage the lugs 75 of the rack bars. l Inasmuch as the lugs '15 and thecam projections 77a of both rack bars are so located that they are notboth engaged simultaneously by the two rollers 66, the normal operationof the apparatus will not be interfered with by connecting the innerends-of the two plungers 6'?r together.

' In the construction described above, two doors v have been employedfor closing each door opening but it will, of course, be apparent that asingle door may be employed ,provided the mechanism be arranged so thata greater range of movement is imparted to the door by the actuation ofthe rack bars. In Fig. 12 of the drawings there is illustrated thismodification in which a single door is mounted to slide in guides 96 toclose the door opening and this door is connected to two iiexiblelcables 97 which extend upwardly over pulleys 98 and thence downwardlyover one' of these pulleys and around a drum 99. This drum is mounted ona shaft 10,1 which corresponds to the shaft 5l previously described, andit is journaled in bearing brackets 102 secured to the side wall of theelevator shaft. The shaft 101 is arranged to be actuated by cablesconnected to rack bars similar to the rack bars 44 so that when theelevator car approaches the floor at which the door 9.5 is located, thisdoor is elevated by the rotation of the shaft 101.

Although one form of the invention and a modified construction of thedoor arrangement have been illustrated and described herein by way ofexample, it will -be understood that the invention may be constructed invarious dii-ferent embodiments coming within the scope of the ap pendedclaims. n Y 1 claim 1. The combination with an elevator shaft havlnga-plurality of door openings,` of doors for simultaneously closing saidopenings, an elevator car movable in said shaft, and means actuated bysaid car for operating said doors to their fully open position as saidcar reaches a position opposite said dooropenings, and for positivelyactuating the closing of said doors as the elevator car recedes from aposition opposite said door openings.

2. The combination with an elevator shaft having a number of dooropenings, of doors for closing said openings, an elevator car movable.in said shaft, and means actuated by the movement of said car forautomatically and mechanically actuating the opening and closing of saiddoors as said car approaches and recedes from a position opposite saiddoor openings.

3. The combination with an elevator shaft having door openings, of doorsfor closing said openings, operating mechanism mounted in said shaft foreifecting opening and closing movements of said doors, an elevator carmovable in said shaft, and means carried by said car for engaging andoperating said mechanism to positively actuate the opening or closing ofsaid doors as said car approaches and recedes from a position oppositesaid door openings.

4. The combination with an elevator shaft having door openings atdifferent iioor levels, of doors for closing said openings, dooroperating means located in said shaft at each of said floor levels foroperating said doors, an elevator car movable in said shaft, and meanscarried by said car for actuating said door operating means tomechanically and positively actuate the doors to open and closedpositions as said car approaches and recedes from the floor level. A

5. The combinationvwth an elevator shaft having door openings atdifferent fioor levels, of doors for closing said openings, a kpluralityof door operating means located in said shaft at each of said floorlevels for operating said doors, an elevator car movable in said shaft,means carried by said car for actuating either of said door operatingmeans to effect an opening or closing ofV said doors,- and means carriedby said car for selectively withdrawing the actuating means fromoperative engagement lwith said door operating means. 1

6. The combination with an elevator shaft having door openings, of doorsfor closing said openings, an operating member movably mounted in saidshaft for positively actuating the opening and closing of said doors, anelevator car movable in said shaft, and means actuated .by either theupward or downward movement of said car for moving said member tothereby mechanically control the operation of said doors to either open-12D ing or closing positions. n

7. The combination with an elevator shaft having door openings atdifferent floor levels, of doors for closing said openings, an elevatorcar movable in said shaft, an operating member slidably 1425 mounted insaid shaft and having operating connections to said doors to positivelyactuate said doors to different open and closed positions dependent upontheposition of the elevator car with respect to the iioor level, vand anactuating member carried by said car for engaging and operating saidoperating member.

8. The combination with an elevator shaft having door openings, of doorsfor closing said openings, an elevator car movable in said shaft,operating membersslidably mounted in said shaft and having operatingconnections to said doors, actuating members carried by said car forengaging and operating said operating members the actuation of one ofsaid operating members operating to operate the doors to open positionand the actuation of the other of said members operating to operate thedoors to closing position, and means for automatically disengaging saidactuating member from said operating member after a predeterminedmovement of said doors.

9. The combination with an elevator shaft having door openings, of doorsfor closing said openings, an elevator car movable in said shaft, a pairo f operating members movably mounted inv said shaft, means for causingthe movement of each operating member in one direction to effect themovement of the other operating member in the opposite directiomone ofsaid operating members controlling the opening movement of said doors,the other of said operating members controlling the closing movement ofsaid doors, actuating mechanism for operating said doors, connectionsfrom each of said operating members to said mechanism, actuating devicescarried by said elevatorcar for engaging and moving said operatingmembers during the travel of said car, and means for automaticallydisengaging said actuating devices from said operating members afterpredetermined movements of said operating members.

10. The combination with an elevator shaft having door openings, ofdoors foi` closing said openings, an elevator car movable in said shaft,a pair of operating members movably mounted in said shaft, meansconnecting said operating members to effect movement of each member inone direction upon movement of the other in the opposite direction,operating connections from said members to said doors, and actuatingdevices carried by said elevator car and adapted to engage saidoperating members to effect movement thereof, the movement of one ofsaid operating members by one of said devices being adapted to open saiddoors and the movement of the operating member of the other of saiddevices being adapted to close said doors.

1l. rIhe combination with an elevator shaft having door openings, ofdoors for closing said openings, an operating member movably mounted insaid shaft, operating connections from said member to said doors, anelevator car movable in said shaft, an actuating device carried by saidcar for engaging and moving said operating member, and means movablewith said operating member for disengaging said actuating device fromsaid member after a predetermined movement of said doors.

12. The combination with an elevator shaft having door openings, ofdoors for closing said openings, an operating member movably mounted insaid shaft, operating connections from said member to said doors, anelevator car movable in said shaft, an actuating device carried by saidcar for engaging and moving said operating member, a releasing platemovable with said operating member for releasing said operating memberfrom engagement with said actuating device, and means for limiting themovement of said releas- Aing plate.

13. The combination with an elevator shaft having door openings, ofdoors for closing said openings, an operating member movably mounted insaid shaft, operating connections from said member to said doors, anelevator car movable in said shaft, an actuating device carried by saidcar for engaging and moving said operating member, a releasing platemovable normally with said operating member and adapted upon relativemovement with respect to said member to effect the disengagement of saidactuating device from said member, and a stop for arresting the movementof said releasing plate and thereby causing said relative movement underthe influence of said actuating device.

14. The combination with an elevator shaft having door openings, ofdoors for closing said openings, an operating member movably mounted insaid shaft, operating connections from said member to said doors, anelevator car movable in sai'di shaft, an actuating device carriedby saidcar for engaging and moving'saioloperating4 member, a releasingplatemovable normally with said operating member andA adapted upon relativemovement with respect to said-` member to effect the disengagement ofsaid. actuating device from said member, a stop for arresting themovement of said releasing plate and` thereby causing; said relativemovement under Vthe influencerof. .said actuating device, and lmeansforadjusting the position of. said stop. -1 f 15. The combination withan elevator shaft having door openings, of doors for closing saidopenings, an operating member movably mounted in said shaft, operatingconnections from said member to said doors, an elevator car movable insaid shaft, an actuating device carried by said car for engaging andmoving said operating member, a releasing plate slidably mounted uponsaid operating member and normally movable therewith, and a stop forarresting the motion of said releasing plate and thereby causingrelative movement of said plate and said operating member under theinfluence of said actuating device, said releasing plate having a partadapted to engage said actuating device to release said actuating devicefrom said operating member when said relative movement occurs.

16. The combination with an elevator shaft having door openings, ofdoors for closing said openings, an elevator car movable in said shaft,a pair of operating members slidably mounted in said shaft and havingoperating connections to said doors, means for effecting movement of oneof said operating members in one direction upon movement of the otheroperating member in the opposite direction, a pair of releasing plateseach mounted on one of said operating members for relative movementthereon, a pair of actuating devices carried by said elevator car, apair of lugs each projecting from one of said operating members in thepath of movement of said actuating devices, and a pair of stop membersassociated with each of said releasing plates for arresting the motionof the releasing plate after a predetermined movement thereof whilepermitting continued motion of the connected operating member, each ofsaid releasing plates having a projecting part arranged to engage one ofsaid actuating devices and disengage it from the adjacent lug carried bythe connected operating member When said releasing plate is arrested byone of said stop members.

17. The combination with an elevator shaft having door openings, ofdoors for said openings, a car movable in said shaft and having anactuator device, a pair of slidable operating members positivelycontrolling the opening and closing movements of said doors, theactuation of one of said members by said actuator in one line ofdirection causing an opening of said doors and the actuation of theother of said members in the same line of direction causing a closing ofsaid doors.

18. The combination with an elevator shaft having door openings, anelevator car movable in said shaft, actuating means carried by said car,a pair of operating rack members connected by a pinion adapted to beoperated by said actuating means for operating doors to open and closesaid openings.

19. The combination with an elevator shaft having a door opening, ofdoors for closing said opening, an elevator car movable in said shaft,and means actuated When said car approaches lim positively actuating theclosing of said door as the elevator car recedes from a positionopposite said door opening. Y

`2l. The combination with an elevator shaft having door openings anddoors for closing said openings, an elevator car movable in said shaftand means actuated by said car for positively controlling the closing ofsaid doors as the elevator car recedes from a position opposite saiddoor openings. p

LOUIS H. PRANGER.

